Rape Culture or Something Else?

I want to celebrate a milestone for this blog. Something that I've honestly been looking forward to since the birth of this blog and was starting to become unsure would ever happen, but here we are. The milestone? A comment that came with some thought behind it on one of my old articles. Okay, so this isn't my first comment but it IS the first one to merit a response (in my eyes) and so I wanted to share it, and my response with my readers.

Without further ado, here is the comment that went along with this article which talked about the death of Christopher Lane and a proposed change in society:

Sex culture? Let's talk about rape culture. 
Rape Culture Is…
1. A university in Canada that allows the following student orientation chant: “Y is for your sister. O is for oh-so-tight. U is for underage. N is for no consent. G is for grab that ass.”
2. Pop music that tells women “you know you want it” because of these “blurred lines” (of consent).
3. A judge who sentenced only 30 days in jail to a 50-year-old man who raped a 14-year-old girl (who later committed suicide), and defended that the girl was “older than her chronological age.”
4. Mothers who blame girls for posting sexy selfies and leading their sons into sin, instead of talking with their sons about their responsibility for their own sexual expression.
5. Photo memes like this:
(see article link below)
6. Supporting athletes who are charged with rape and calling their victims career-destroyers.
7. Companies that create decals of a woman bound and gagged in order to “promote their business.”
8. People who believe that girls “allow themselves to be raped.”
9. Journalists who substitute the word “sex” for “rape” – as if they’re the same thing.
10. Politicians distinguishing “legitimate rape” and stating that rape is “something that God intended to happen,” among other horrendous claims.
11. Calling college students who have the courage to report their rapes liars.
12. The ubiquity of street harassment – and how victims are told that they’re “overreacting” when they call it out.
13. Victims not being taken seriously when they report rapes to their university campuses.
14. Rape jokes – and people who defend them.
15. Sexual assault prevention education programs that focus on women being told to take measures to prevent rape instead of men being told not to rape.
16. The victimization of hospital patients, especially people with mental health issues and the elderly, by the very people who are there to protect them.
17. Reddit threads with titles like “You just have to make sure she’s dead” when linking to the story of a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan being raped and buried alive.
18. Reddit threads dedicated to men causing women pain during sex (I’m not going to give the thread credence by linking to it).
19. Twitter hashtags that support accused rapists and blame victims.
20. Publicly defending celebrities accused of rape just because they’re celebrities and ignoring or denouncing what the victim has to say.
21. Assuming that false reporting for sexual assault cases are the norm, when in reality, they’re only 2-8%, which is on par with grand theft auto.
22. Only 3% of rapists ever serving a day in jail.
23. Women feeling less safe walking the streets at night than men do.
24. 1-in-5 women and 1-in-71 men having reported experiencing rape.
25. The fact that we have to condition ourselves not to use violent language in our everyday conversations.
And the list could go on.
http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/examples-of-rape-culture/
EDUCATE YOURSELF

First of all, I want to thank you, anonymous commenter, for this comment and for taking the time to find this article. However, I do want to go ahead ask that if you do want to leave a comment, could you at the very least not copy and paste from another article? My readers and I know how to click on a link and I promise if you post one I'll be more than happy to follow it, no need to copy and paste.

But, since you did, I feel compelled to go ahead and respond to your comment as your own personal ideas rather than that of an outlying website. Thus, here we are with an entire article based on this subject.

I want to make one thing abundantly clear before I go any further. I do not, under any circumstances, condone rape. It is a vile crime and an even more horrendous experience for any victim involved. No one can accurately put into words what it can feel like and how much it can hamper a person later in life. Rapists are monsters, pure and simple.

Now, I have many points that I want to talk about but, since you brought this up, I feel it is only right to focus on your points first. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to go through each and every point you brought up, but I'll do my best with a handful of them.

First; "Sex culture? Let's talk about rape culture."

We live in a world full of humans, correct? And as humans in this modern world, we have many basic morals that we live by ie: murder is wrong, stealing is wrong, help the less fortunate, we don't have to kill someone because they have smallpox etc. On top of this list is a disdain for rape. Obviously not everyone feels the exact same way about these morals, which means we have serial killers and serial rapists. However, just because rape exists does not mean we live in a culture that actively calls for or justifies rape, to say that we do is beyond ignorant.

That brings me to your list of examples of Rape Culture. 
2. Pop music that tells women “you know you want it” because of these “blurred lines” (of consent).
Ok, if you haven't heard the song, that's fine don't go rushing to YouTube to look it up. Personally, I don't find the song to be offensive at all, but I know plenty of people do, most likely due to the social media hype that was brought up last year/ the beginning of this year surrounding this song that people didn't even bother to read the actual lyrics. The comment actually infers "of consent" from the lyrics where there is actually little to no suggestion that this has anything to do with consent and more to do with the empowerment of women.
While to some the lyrics seem gross and the music video even worse, I'd just have to say that that is straight up bullshit. You want demeaning and gross? It's been happening for years across multiple genres of music (Smack That by Akon ft Eminem, Up All Night by Hinder, Something in Your Mouth by Nickelback, I Get Off by Halestorm, S&M by Rihanna, etc.). 
The song Blurred Lines has nothing to do with rape and the fact that western feminists are pushing this (so much so that Thicke has canceled concerts) only goes to show the ignorance of the group and how little attention is paid to actual problems across the world (and here at home) such as the sex trade, girls in the Middle East being shot for going to school, etc.

4. Mothers who blame girls for posting sexy selfies and leading their sons into sin, instead of talking with their sons about their responsibility for their own sexual expression.
I was okay with the first link that literally said it was an "Everyday Feminism" site. I could handle that and give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe, possibly, they did unbiased, accurate research to get more than one example for each of these 25 examples.
Then it linked me to Jezebel. And I can't even begin to describe how much I wanted to claw my eyes out as I read the post concerning one (you read that right, one) mother who posted an article about how girls should refrain from posting revealing selfies online. Jezebel, as is the custom there, decided to infer that this mother never talked to her boys about sex or responsibility with no real proof.

6. Supporting athletes who are charged with rape and calling their victims career-destroyers.
Steubenville, am I right? I was right. 
Nowhere, absolutely nowhere, in this article does anyone support what the boys did. However, if these boys were convicted of murder, theft, arson, animal cruelty or grand theft auto we would be focusing on how they are still young kids who made an absolutely horrid decision that cost them their future but because it was rape the stigma is even worse for these kids. Because of one night's decision these boys will go through early adulthood incarcerated and will come out as registered sex offenders. The crime is horrible, despicable, inhumane, and horrendous. The rapists were kids who chose to make the biggest mistake of their entire lives, committed a crime and completely ruined any shot they had at continuing a career as football players.
Once again, nowhere does anyone in the article say that the victim is a career destroyer. This is most likely taken from the Twitter uproar that surrounded this entire event that saw many people blaming many different things and people for what had happened. Many blamed the parents of each of the teenagers involved, some blamed the girl, some blamed the kid who videotaped it, some blamed the alcohol, but most blamed the boys who actively participated in this horrid atrocity.
There's a difference between feeling sorry for the kids who ruined their entire lives in one night, that's called empathy, and supporting what they actually did. I understand not everyone will ever be able to feel sorry for these boys and I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is that you don't assume people are supporting the act when they are simply supporting two boys who ruined their own lives.

9. Journalists who substitute the word “sex” for “rape” – as if they're the same thing.
The journalist who wrote this did not substitute words. They said exactly what they were supposed to say. In the United States of America, no one is guilty of a crime until they have been proven guilty. As rape is an extremely serious allegation, journalists tend to stay away from headlines that involve "rape" unless there have been proven cases of a crime. In this case, if you didn't read the article, the word sex is used to describe intercourse that had not been determined to be consensual or not. This is the correct use of the word.

12. The ubiquity of street harassment – and how victims are told that they’re “overreacting” when they call it out.
No source is given for this information so I'll assume that this is just a general idea that you had. Now, I'm no fan of cat calling, nor do I know any decent human beings that participate in it, in fact I know no one who has ever participated in it, but, since I don't live under a rock, I know it happens. However, just as I would say to the "Ban Bossy" campaign or anyone who decides to tell people when they can and cannot say something, I'd like to direct your attention to the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment protects freedom of speech with few restrictions placed upon it (you can't yell "FIRE!" in a movie theater). You may believe I am defending this act by saying people should be allowed to have their freedom of speech. However, I'm also of the belief that people have a right to common decency and that there is no actual reason for douchebags to be catcalling as they drive by. 
If you wouldn't say it face to face with her, why does your upgraded Maserati give you permission to do it? Honestly it's a cowardly thing to do.

14. Rape jokes – and people who defend them.
First off, the page links to one douchebag who takes it too far, not very convincing of an entire culture. But I do agree that this guy's "joke" is despicable. Anyway, do you understand the psychology of jokes? Obviously not. People joke about things to lighten the mood. It's how jokes work. However, when it comes to rape jokes it's sometimes even deeper than that. 
Victims of rape are expected to continue on in their life, especially if they never report it happened to them. This can create many different attitudes towards life and, much like soldiers who have seen brutal combat, sometimes their mind twists things to add a sick side of humor to their otherwise traumatic ordeal. So, don't go believing that every person out there is attempting to expand this supposed "culture" that supports rape. Some are just trying to get through their life.

15. Sexual assault prevention education programs that focus on women being told to take measures to prevent rape instead of men being told not to rape.
Do you understand how asinine of a statement this is? Sexual assault PREVENTION programs decide to teach women ways to PREVENT rape, how dare they!? It's like they are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. Rape is not a male v female thing. I am appalled that you would even suggest such a blatantly ignorant viewpoint. The fact that you seem to believe that rape is a singularly male-offender crime is no surprise, but is completely 100% false.
Also, how many courses do we have that teach people to not steal or to not murder or to not become some sort of criminal? Because last I checked we don't normally teach people not to do these things, it's a part of growing up in a modern-day society that people know not to do these things.
Finally, how many male focused sexual assault prevention courses are there in the States? I did some research and I can't find a single male-focused course while there are many women-only courses. In fact, when I looked at articles related to this issue, more prevalent than courses that pertain to tips to prevent rape for men, the articles discuss how men can stop themselves from raping someone or how their default setting is one of violence and therefore they need to be careful not to go off on someone else.

22. Only 3% of rapists ever serving a day in jail.
Here we might find some common ground. Now this is slightly misleading simply because it seems to say that 97% of rapists go through the justice system and walk free. This is far from the truth. If we go with the number of reported rapes (generally 46% of all rapes) the number rises to 12.5% of all reported rapists spend time in jail. If we go to the number of arrested suspects (12% of all rapes lead to an arrest), 25% of all suspected rapists spend time in jail.
Now, before I get you believing that I am trying to construe the horrible statistics here I just want to make it clear that I am simply providing my readers with more information and less misleading statistics.
Back to the common ground. I am a huge proponent of individual rights, as can be seen from many of my postings on here. However, I am also a -less vocal- advocate for a tougher stance on crime and a faster judicial process. This would raise the number of solved crimes while also raising the number of innocents facing jail time. That puts us at an impasse. Do we want to feel safer looking at the number of cases closed or do we want to feel safer knowing there is less of a chance (with the way the system is set up now) that we will be convicted of a crime we didn't commit?
I leave that to my readers and you to contemplate, just know that there is a tradeoff no matter what.

23. Women feeling less safe walking the streets at night than men do.
This phenomenon is actually completely baseless when compared to actual crime rates. I'm not a psychologist, nor do I play one on TV, so I won't try to explain why men and women feel safe when they do. 
I can, however, suggest that men feel safer simply because we have an invincibility complex about us. We believe, wrongly, that we can handle any thug that wants to rob, kidnap, rape or murder us and thus have no real problem walking around at night.

Phew, that was a lot at once, wasn't it? Enough education for a little while? 


Let's take a break.


Back already? Well then I guess it's time for me to go ahead and make my own point.

If, as you suggest, we do live in this "Rape Culture" (which was never actively explained but that's okay, I get it) then we have to ask ourselves where it comes from. What perpetuates such a desire to rob someone of their complete privacy and right to self? What causes people to go down such a heinous path as rape (arguably worse than murder)?
And here we wind up back at the original portion of the article that started this chain: sex culture. Just as I said in the first article, the sex culture that we live in, in which EVERYTHING is sexualized, is despicable. What really starts a culture of rape? The acceptance and perpetuation of sex in everything from sports to music to advertising to food to animals to each other. We live in a culture that has removed sex from the bedroom and thrown it haphazardly into every crevice of society.
Am I naive enough to believe that rape had not been around before the prevalence of this sex culture? No, nor am I of the belief that rape will suddenly disappear when this culture of sex has diminished. Rape is around because humans are around. It's a sad fact of life that we will most likely never fully eradicate. That does not mean we live in a culture that perpetuates, accepts, or agrees with rape. That's why it is a crime that many believe could be punishable by death and others believe should mean life in prison.

There's No Such Thing as April Fools' in Baseball

After hours (okay, a few intense Google searches) of research, I come bearing a treasure known to few but to be shared with many on this glorious day. Today, we recognize some of the greatest moments in baseball. Why? Well, because we just hit the restart button on the season yesterday and this has nothing to do with it being April 1st, absolutely nothing.
Without further ado, I present to you, the greatest treasures this sport has to offer: Serious Moments of Baseball History.
And, just for good measure, to make sure you are in the right mood for this day: The Insanely Best Play of Any Sporting Event Held in October.

So who's in the mood for some baseball, now!?
We have been fortunate enough to have Opening Day for all but the Yankees and Astros. But hey, who cares about them anyway? We got to see at least one (not sure if there were more) manager's challenge. And, as is the way of the Cubs, the call was upheld and the Cubs lost their first challenge and subsequently their first game of the season.

The Rangers hosted a round of hitting practice with the Phillies that saw 10 runs scored in the second inning, 31 hits and a total of 24 runs scored. The Phillies won that one. Oh, and the Nationals and Mets can hit too. 16 hits and 16 runs in the first game of the season at Citi Field. The Nationals beat out the Mets 9-7. The Marlins and Mariners each scored 10 runs while beating the Rockies and Angels respectively. The Diamondbacks (in their third game of the season) hosted the Giants in South West's Opening Day edition of hit-fest. The D-backs fell, for the third time in as many games, 8-9 while piling on 16 hits compared to 12 hits for the Giants.

Of course, we were owed all of that offensive production after two impressive pitching duels to open up the National League Central race. The first, Cubs at Pirates, went to the home half of the 10th inning when Neil Walker lifted a walk off homer out of PNC Park. Francisco Liriano completely dominated the Cubs lineup en route to tying the Pirates' franchise record of 10 K's on Opening Day.

The second, which was blacked out on ESPN in Saint Louis for unknown reasons, featured the two teams that have been at the top of the NL Central four of the past five years. Although Cincinnati's tradition of always opening at home (thankfully Bud Selig hasn't taken that away) has led to more heartbreak than season jump starts (the Reds are 7-11-1 on Opening Day since 1995), the home crowd once again showed up in force for a "Titanic Struggle," as Marty Brennaman would say, between two aces: Johnny Cueto of the Reds and Adam Wainwright of the Cards. Poor baserunning (I'm looking at you Pena in the fifth and DatDudeBP in the eighth) and four K's by rookie-speedster Billy Hamilton spelled defeat for the Reds in a game that featured quality pitching on both sides. Yadier Molina's homer in the seventh was the only run of the day.

So, after one day (or three for the D-backs and Dodgers) it's about time to be predicting end of the season rankings, right? Plus, today is the day for complete shenanigans across the country, so what the hell? Well then, here are the Absurdly Early Picks for the 2014 MLB Playoffs:

AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays- Winner
2. Boston Red Sox- Wildcard
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. New York Yankees

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers- Winner
2. Cleveland Indians- Wildcard
3. Kansas City
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox

AL West
1. Seattle Mariners- Winner
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland A's
4. Houston Astros
5. Los Angeles Angels

NL East
1. Washington Nationals- Winner
2. Atlanta Braves- Wildcard
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

NL Central
1. Saint Louis Cardinals- Winner (yes it did hurt to actually type that)
2. Cincinnati Reds- Wildcard
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Chicago Cubs

NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers- Winner
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

AL Wildcard
Cleveland at Boston

NL Wildcard
Cincinnati at Atlanta

ALDS
Boston at Detroit in 5
Seattle at Tampa Bay in 4

NLDS
Cincinnati at LA Dodgers in 5
Saint Louis at Washington in 3

ALCS
Tampa Bay at Detroit in 6

NLCS
Washington at LA Dodgers in 5

World Series
LA Dodgers at Detroit
LA Dodgers at Detroit
Detroit at LA Dodgers
Detroit at LA Dodgers
Detroit at LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers at Detroit

World Champs- Los Angeles Dodgers

Zombie Bills Starting Fights, Droid-ist Bartenders, and an Avant-Garde Notion

I doubt many of you have missed the legislation that has been circulating around Arizona (and national) news for the past few weeks. This legislation would have allowed Arizona businesses to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers if they were solely citing religious reasons for doing so. The law was vetoed, for obvious reasons, on Wednesday by Governor Jan Brewer. The bill is no longer alive on the legislative floor, yet it still lives on in the fight that has erupted across social media fanned by opinionated bloggers (like myself) and loud mouthpieces on FOX, CNN and MSNBC.

This fight has taken the entire country by storm with many people calling it another battle of oppression v freedom in the US while others compare it to the plight of African Americans during the institution of Jim Crow Laws and the hard-fought battles of the Civil Rights Movement. However, what really gets me is something almost off topic- I'll get back to this argument in a bit, stay tuned- that not many people are even thinking about.

I just really do not understand why people are even wanting these "anti-gay" businesses to be forced to accept business from anyone, much less people they clearly disdain...
Why would a lesbian couple want a bakery that they know is "anti-gay" to be making their wedding cake? Why would a gay couple want a "homophobic" photographer taking pictures of them on their wedding day? Is it a matter of principle or is it just out of spite?
Personally though, I wouldn't want someone who is clearly and vehemently- enough to go to court- against my beliefs to be snapping pictures or baking cakes for my wedding day. But hey, maybe that's just me. Or you know, maybe it's my "ignorance" of the plight of so many minorities talking. Or maybe it's my bigoted cis, straight, white, male privilege at work again.
DAMN YOU PRIVILEGE! *shakes fist in the air violently while scowling*

Okay, back to reality and to the real issue at work here.
The freedom to deny service is one of the biggest fundamentals that businesses have (or had). That's one of the main reasons why we have private businesses; so that they can serve who they want, when they want, where they want, for a profit. That profit then gets spent on goods and those goods come from other retailers which gets the goods from the maker who then spends money at that business and thus an economy is born!

If you don't like a laundromat's choice in music you can ask them to change it and if they won't, go to another laundromat. If you are a vegan and go to a steakhouse don't expect them to have vegan food. Chick-fil-a doesn't support gay marriage, if you are gonna try to show them up you don't eat there instead of attempting to force them to change by getting a law passed (or struck down). (Oh and you don't stage a completely unsuccessful "Kiss In" just to spite them, that's just childish)

If you don't support a business's choices then don't go to them, simple as that. There are thousands of laundromats, restaurants, bakeries and photographers out there, go find one that will cater to your needs. It's really the beauty of the free market. 

The other side of the aisle will argue the opposite, in fact they'll argue the almost 180 of this position. "If you don't allow gay people to get cakes and photos from the same place that their straight counterparts do, it's discrimination and illegal!" "Our freedom to live the way we choose to live is being taken away because we can't get our cakes from Bob's Cake Emporium and instead have to drive an extra mile to go to Wendy's Cake Bakery!" Okay, it's not that simple but you get the point; you have to serve everyone or else it's discrimination.

So, let's just get this all straightened out. An anti-gay bakery will be forced (?) to bake wedding cakes for gay weddings. An anti-gay photographer will have to go to (?) a gay wedding and take pictures as if it were any heterosexual marriage. So, no bakery or photographer will be able to turn down a gay wedding, ever, no matter the reasoning behind it?
I can just see it now: "Tonight at 11: Was Bill's Cakes and Cookies shutdown because he already had three other weddings happening the same day and couldn't make time for Gordon and Luke Smith's wedding or because he's actually a raging homophobe!? Stay tuned for the live story."

Okay, so that's not what the bill stated, but if you haven't caught on, I am not a fan of this bill anyway. The bill would have forced businesses to provide some sort of evidence of their religious affiliation and then prove they were only denying services because of those religious beliefs. Not only is that an almost impossible task, but it seems to me to be a bit excessive when you could just allow businesses to run their shop the way they wanted and raise a competitive market and not worry if someone was offended by someone else's beliefs.

Either way this bill ended up someone was gonna get offended because you were left with either a bill saying people can deny you a service because of your sexual orientation or you don't have a bill and you force businesses to service people they don't want to serve. It's a no win situation for anyone. (Of course if you look at the LGBT lobby you'd think they won a huge victory)

If you've been reading my blog for the past few months you know I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I agree with multiple seemingly "outdated" ideas. So, why change that pattern when it comes to how to run a private business?

Of course, as many traditional ideas seem to do nowadays, this line of thinking may startle many people and will probably have people thinking I'm an oppressive, racist, sexist blockhead from the 19th century who thinks Negroes are only 3/4 of a person, women belong in the kitchen, and children are to be seen but not heard. To all of you, I thank you for visiting my blog and encourage you to go ahead and leave before you get all passive aggressive, internet-frustrated on me because what I'm about to say will certainly get you hotheaded. (Of course, you can stay and leave your thoughts in the comments below if you'd like, but this is just fair warning)

Businesses should be allowed to service whomever they want. Simple as that. The flip side of that coin? They should also be able to deny service to whomever they want for any reason.

Just like bars and restaurants are allowed-and sometimes encouraged- to stop serving alcohol to obviously drunk patrons even if they demand it and can pay for it, a bakery can decide not to serve you if they don't want to do so. A photographer doesn't have to take your business just because you came to him. A cantina in the Mos Eisley spaceport doesn't have to serve droids just because you're a Jedi meeting up with Indiana Jones (or was it President Marshall?).

But wait, what happens when businesses refuse to serve people based on race?
Well I'd imagine they would lose quite a lot of business, but why should you care if someone wants to be a racist ass and lose money just because of someone's skin color? Because it's discriminatory! Well, guess what, people are discriminatory no matter what anyone tells you and if they want to run a crappy business then let them fail. The real question would be why would we want to force a racist asshat to take people's money just to be able to say we are in a "post-racial" society?

Uh, Nate, what about when people decide they don't want to serve you?
Oh, you mean like restaurant-bars that refuse to let me enter after 9 on the weekend? That's easy, I go somewhere else and make sure to spend good money where I can go. If someone doesn't want my money, that's fine by me.

You actually expect this to catch on?
Unfortunately not, but I wish it could. Seriously, if people could acknowledge this whole idea of private businesses running things their own way it would make this entire notion actually reasonable. However, because we live in a childish society that can't handle getting its feelings hurt, this is a seemingly unrealistic, unreasonable, ignorant opinion to have.

America Goes Pro-Choice

I think almost everyone has heard or made some form of the following argument: "I would never personally get an abortion, but that doesn't mean that we should stop women who want to get an abortion from being allowed to get one." It's a staple for so many Americans today to cheat their way out of any abortion argument. (It's second only to "no/ my uterus, no/my opinion") So, in an effort to show both the hypocrisy and the levity that is possible in politics I present to you the top 20 arguments of Pro-Choice America!

"I would never personally own a firearm, but that doesn't mean that we should stop other people who want to own a firearm from owning one."

"I would never personally be for the death penalty, but that doesn't mean we should stop lethal injection or firing squads if other people want it."

"I would never personally want to be without government control on Wall Street, but that doesn't mean we should stop the free market and capitalism from having its place too."

"I would never personally want my child to go to a private school or be enrolled in a voucher system, but that doesn't mean we should stop other parents from having that option."

"I would never personally want to use a non-green energy car, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from being allowed to own gas powered automobiles."

"I would never personally take down my windmill that powers my house one day every two weeks, but that doesn't mean that we should force everyone to have a windmill in their front lawn."

"I would never personally eat meat or any other animal product, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from having chili and hamburgers at their cookouts."

"I would never personally administer euthanasia drugs to my grandma, but that doesn't mean other people shouldn't have the option to do just that."

"I would never personally stop my crusade to stop global warming, but that doesn't mean other people should have to listen to my ravings about global warming 'climate change'."

"I would never personally want the government to stop covering my healthcare, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from getting insurance from any company they want or none at all."

"I would never personally deport or report an illegal immigrant, but that doesn't mean that we should stop other people from reporting/ deporting them."

"I would never personally use an incandescent lightbulb, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from buying and using those."

"I would never personally stop the government from taking my land for the public good, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from fighting for their private property."

"I would never personally pray to God in a courthouse, school or post office, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people from doing so."

"I would never personally want to keep my money that goes to Social Security, but that doesn't mean other people should have to lose that money."

"I would never personally want my tax dollars going back into my pocket so I can spend my money, but that doesn't mean we should stop my co-workers from having control of where their money goes."

"I would never personally send any tax dollars to fund a war, but that doesn't mean we should stop other people's tax dollars from going to support the military."

"I would never personally want to be cut off from the government's teat, but that doesn't mean everyone should have to live on the government safety net."

"I would never personally be against two men getting married, but that doesn't mean we should force churches to perform that ceremony."

"I would never personally leave my union, but that doesn't mean we should force everyone to join unions and pay the dues if they don't want to be in the union."

Note: This is a work of satire and does not reflect personal views held by any specific individuals

Bye Bye BCS

If you were tuned to ESPN for this year's masterpiece of a national championship, you were not disappointed. No matter who you were rooting for, that was one of the best football games that has been played during the BCS era and it will always be remembered as the game that sent the BCS out on top. Tre Mason rushed for 195 yards and one touchdown, Jameis Winston went 6/7 for 77 yards on the Seminoles' go ahead scoring drive, Nick Marshall threw for 217 yards and 2 TDs. And that's just the offense. It was a beautiful game to end an era and usher in the newest national championship system, the playoffs.
Now, we all know the BCS hasn't been perfect and that the entire system seemed to favor the SEC (fairly or not) but there's been a stream of memorable moments throughout the 16 year tenure which featured 11 different champions and six different conferences with a representative. Not all of these memorable moments have been favorable towards the BCS but they are still part of the tale of college football from 1998 to 2013. So, as we prepare for 200+ days of college football drought we have the chance to look back before looking to the new age and so without further ado, I present the top 5 moments in the BCS era.

Crimson Tide SteamRoll
No other team in the last 16 years has won the national championship more often than Alabama. The Tide left their indelible mark on the crystal ball over the course of the 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons when they rolled over competition. It honestly wasn't fair to have Nick Saban recruiting and coaching these men, but then again, the BCS doesn't go for fair they go for the best. The Tide's roll started with an undefeated season in 2009 however they would then go on a two year SEC championship drought before their shutout of SEC West foe LSU in the BCS National Championship in 2012. The Tide, once again the kings of NCAAF, were a forced to be reckoned with and had writers and fans speculating that they'd even be able to beat an NFL team on neutral ground. (Even Steve Spurrier said the Tide could matchup and beat some NFL teams) The Tide finished the BCS era 3-0 in the Championship game and 3-2 overall in BCS bowls including losses to Utah in 2008-'09 and to Oklahoma in 2013-'14 both in the Sugar Bowl.

Questionable Interference
One of the most controversial moments to come in all of college football came on the grandest stage of them all. In 2003, Miami was leading the Ohio State Buckeyes 24-17 in overtime of the Fiesta Bowl when the Bucks got the ball down to the 5 yard line on fourth down. With the game on the line and only 5 yards to go, Ohio State elected to go for a short pass to the side. OSU's Chris Gamble lined up opposite Miami cornerback Glenn Sharpe on the nearside. The pass left Craig Krenzel's hand and sailed for the end zone before escaping the outstretched fingertips of Gamble before Sharpe hit his side. The game was over and Miami had won back to back national championships. Then, after what seemed an eternity to any OSU fan, a flag fell. The celebration was halted as the call was announced, "Pass interference, defense. Ball will be placed at the one yard line. First down." The most controversial and questionable call of the BCS era was handed down before reviews and challenges were allowed in college football and resulted in a Buckeyes championship victory and stopped the Hurricanes from becoming the first back to back champs in the BCS era.

The Size of the Fight in the Dog
Boise State never got to the BCS national championship. They were good but the blue-field-Broncos were never good enough to top the power conference champions for a spot in the Championship game. However, that didn't stop them from providing one of the top moments in the entire BCS age when they played in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. With time running out on the little guys' hope to beat out the #10 Oklahoma Sooners, the Broncos were left with a 4th and 18 around midfield down 35-28 and were given little chance to convert, much less tie the game. A go big or go home attitude took over the Broncos' huddle as they knew this was their moment to shine. Always a threat to run a trick play Boise State lined up with Drisan James on the nearside and three receivers to Jared Zabransky's right. The pass sailed into the soft hands of James at the Oklahoma 35 who, almost immediately, flipped the ball to senior Jerard Rabb who was running a cross route underneath James. As soon as the ball was secured, Rabb took to the races and lept into the endzone with 7 seconds left. The extra point tied it at 35. But Bronco magic wasn't done yet. Down one after scoring a touchdown in overtime, Boise State decided it was yet again time to go all in. Zabransky's Statue of Liberty baited the entire Oklahoma defense into the right side screen allowing tailback Ian Johnson to take the ball to the left and in for the 2 point conversion and the 43-42 OT win. As the saying goes, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." This bowl game proved that mid major conferences can offer some of the most thrilling action in college football and that they can in fact play with the big boys when the time comes.

Stumbling to Victory
Cam Newton was the story of the 2010 Auburn War Eagle. Stunning numbers throughout his tenure and a sure first round pick in the NFL Draft, Newton was one of the most fun players to watch in the SEC that year. However, he's not the story that won the championship for Auburn. That role fell to Michael Dyer, who would then fell on Oregon's Eddie Pleasant. In the fourth quarter with the game knotted at 19, the War Eagle was desperate to get ahead in the final two minutes. Still in their own territory, Newton handed the ball to Dyer who rushed ahead for what looked like a simple six yard gain but the whistle never blew and no ref was raising his hand to stop the play. Under the urging of his coach and lone front blocker, Dyer took off again and turned the short six yard gain into a monster 37 yard run to set up the go ahead field goal. The Ducks were stunned thinking Dyer had been stopped when Pleasant brought him down. However, as the officiating crew knew, Dyer's knee never touched the turf and his forward progress was never stopped so much as it was slowed as he rolled over Pleasant. Auburn would go on to win 22-19 and extend the SEC's streak of crystal ball ceremonies to five.

The War Chant or the War Eagle
This year's championship might just go down as the single greatest game in the era. No controversy and no blowout, the game was played with heart and soul and sweat and blood. With Heisman winner Jameis Winston at the helm of a talented FSU offense and Chris Davis ready and waiting on the other side for Auburn, there was no doubt this was going to be a good football game. Yet, many were predicting a blowout by FSU's top offense giving little regard to Auburn's offensive (or for that matter defensive) talent. The doubters were proven wrong almost from the start when FSU's promising first drive was stuffed and they were forced to settle for a field goal. The Noles wouldn't put up points again until their final drive of the first half when Devonta Freeman ran it in from 3 yards out. The stunning half time score? 21-10, War Eagle.
However, FSU was far from done and was poised to receive the second half kickoff. On their second drive of the half, the Seminoles put together an 11 play scoring drive ending in a Roberto Aguayo field goal. The next four drives resulted in punts before the turning point of the game came. Nick Marshall made his single blunder of the night and was intercepted by P.J. Williams on a deep pass down the right side. The Noles would come back to score but were still down one. Then, after Auburn kicked a field goal to go ahead by 4, Levonte Whitfield ran his magic and returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for the go ahead score. With the clock ticking down inside two minutes, the Miracle Eagle season seemed to be heading for the brink. Then Tre Mason did what Tre Mason does best and ran the ball in for a crucial score. Hindsight would prove that the Auburn war machine scored too quickly and gave "Famous Jamies" just enough time, 1:09, to run his offense down the field for what would prove to be the winning touchdown.

Of Note
The Seminoles were in each of the first three BCS National Championship games but only came out on top once, 1999, so it's only fitting the Noles be the team to take us out of the BCS era and into the new CFP system.

Get to Know the Different Scenarios

Top 5 things that have happened since I last published anything on here:

1. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series

2. Houston is the worst team in the NFL and Jacksonville has beaten their last 3 road opponents (seriously, what's up with that?)

3. Duke produced its first 10 win season. Ever. 

4. Obama and company kicked off ObamaCare worse than Wainwright and Molina catch fly balls (Less people signed up for that than signed a, nevertheless badass, petition to build a Death Star)
5. The "40-oh-0 Wildcats" were beaten by the Spartans to get that chip off their shoulder and UConn has stayed perfect through eight.

So, anyway, it's been too long and I apologize. Now I should be back fairly regularly and attempting to catch y'all up on what this country has come to (both politically and in the sports world).

Anyway, to recap this weekend: Bama doesn't want to review time left on the clock anymore, Florida State made Florida look like Georgia Southern (except the Gators lost), THE Ohio State University remained perfect in the ugliest win they have had under Urban Meyer, Auburn knows what it means to play to the final whistle, Missouri took the legs out of Johnny Football's Heisman candidacy and Northern Illinois kept its resume strong for a BCS bowl berth.

The BCS still has an entire Saturday filled to the brim with football to figure out the deuce sitting at the top.

Luckily for us we are allowed to do the unthinkable and imagine all the possibilities before anyone is crowned ACC, Big 10 or SEC Champion. So, let's get creative and look at the Top 10 Likeliest Scenarios.

The Battle of Undefeateds
1. #1 Florida State v #2 Ohio State
This one requires the least explanation. Florida State takes down the Blue Devils in a non-shocker of an ACC championship. Ohio State handles Michigan State to go to 25-0. The Seminoles and Buckeyes are headed to the Rose Bowl on January 6, 2014. Good old fashioned 12-0 v 12-0 so there will be only one undefeated. (Excuse me Jordan Lynch and Co., good luck maintaining your streak)

ACC v SEC I
2. #1 Florida State v #3 Auburn
If we get this one, we might never hear the end of the SOS argument from SEC faithful. According to the strength of schedule, Auburn battled the fourth hardest schedule of the year and came out with one loss. Florida State, on the other hand, had the 42nd toughest road to perfection. On the third hand, Ohio State had the 52nd hardest test. There's little argument that the Big 10 had a down year but is perfection worth so little to the voters now? If it is or if the Bucks stumble against the Spartans, Auburn has its ticket punched for California. (Assuming a victory in the SEC Championship) The Seminoles will need to buckle their seatbelts and get ready for by far the toughest test of their season if they have to battle the Tigers (War Eagles) on Jan. 6.

ACC v SEC II
3. #1 Florida State v #5 Missouri 
Ohio State would have to lose, no question. (A 23rd ranking in SOS and a 5th seed in the BCS will hinder any team's efforts at displacing perfection) In only the second year as an SEC East member (still trying to figure out the geography here), Mizzou went through a gauntlet that contained marquee games against Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Texas A&M and lost once. In double overtime. On a missed field goal. To the Gamecocks. If they can take down the Tigers on Saturday, these bad boys just earned themselves a trip to the BCS Championship at the Rose Bowl.

The One that Got Away
4. #1 Florida State v #4 Alabama 
The title says it all. At week 9, the BCS already had this one plotted out. Alabama and Florida State entered the initial standings #1 and 2 respectively. Then, the King got dethroned and the Seminoles took up the mantle. However, with the right combination of wins and losses, we could still see this one play out. That combo? An Ohio State faceplant against the Spartans and a last second field goal by Mizzou to misplace the rowdy War Eagles. No other combination would justify the non-SEC winner jumping to #2.

You Like to Run?
5. #2 Ohio State v #3 Auburn 
There is the possibility, as slim as it may be, that Florida State underestimates the Blue Devils, a team that is setting records for their school, and falls on Saturday. If that happens and Ohio State beats Michigan State, the Buckeyes will take over first place in the BCS. As long as Auburn handles business against the Tigers, they'll be a sure shot into the second spot. And if we do see these two teams in Cali, it'll be one of the most down and dirty, grit and grime games played out west. Ohio State is the second leading rushing team in the nation while Auburn is fifth. Be prepared for a long game in the trenches.

Big 10 Offense v SEC Defense
6. #2 Ohio State v #5 Missouri 
Having beaten the stingiest defense in college football, the Spartans let up 11.3 ppg, the Bucks would have a very good idea of how to get points on the board even when the defense hates giving them up. And that sort of defense is exactly who they'd meet if Missouri pulled off the win against the War Eagles. The Tigers were the second stingiest defense in the SEC letting up just 19.4 points per game and they never allowed an opponent (including Johnny Football) to put more than 28 points on them. Ohio State enjoys putting up big numbers averaging 48.2 points a game. So, even if the tagline might be the Bucks offense versus Tigers defense, it may just be the other way around for a championship in the Rose Bowl.

One for the Ages
7. #2 Ohio State v #4 Alabama
Urban Meyer v Nick Saban. Undefeated v Champions. Big 10 v SEC. Winning v Winner. 3 Undefeated Campaigns v 3 of the last 4. Okay, enough, you get the picture. This would be a groundbreaking championship that would easily pave the way for the new 2014 playoff system. Just to paint the picture a bit more, between the two coaches six of the last 10 championships have been won, between the two teams there are 18 National Titles, including a split between the two in 1961. Now, if only the Blue Devils can dismantle the Seminoles and Mizzou can win a close one against Auburn! If this one happens, I'm declaring a national holiday.

The Iron Bowl Classic
8. #3 Auburn v #4 Alabama
If there aren't any undefeateds after this weekend of championships, Auburn and Alabama will almost certainly meet in the Rose Bowl. The entire state of Alabama might be on lockdown and curfew if this one is announced on Sunday. Don't think Saban will be looking for any 57 yard field goal nor will the War Eagles allow it to come down to the final second and another miracle play. The Miracle Eagles v the Stunned Kings, another one for the ages.

You Remember Us?
9. #5 Missouri v #4 Alabama
Last year these two met. Missouri still feels the sting from that 42-10 whooping at home. This year, the Tigers are a different team and know how to handle size, speed, depth and strength. They know what it's like to fight in the trenches and keep a feisty offense on its heels and a wear away a stubborn defense. A rematch from the Tigers' SEC debut year would result in a close, nail-biter with pretty much everyone in the country glued to their seat until the final whistle.

What?
10. #3 Auburn v # 6 Oklahoma State
The least likely option to EVER happen, but that's what we look for, right? So how exactly do I explain even thinking this could happen? Well first off, Florida State would have to lose a decent game to the Blue Devils. Then the Buckeyes would have to be destroyed by the Spartans (considering the rankings of the teams, a close loss would most likely leave Ohio in the Top 5 and ahead of the Cowboys). Then Auburn would need a win in the SEC Championship game, really doesn't matter if its by 1 or 100. Finally, the Cowboys HAVE to destroy the Sooners and Baylor must lose to Texas. The then Big 12 Champions MIGHT have the edge on the non-conference champion Alabama. So, if all of this falls into place, is this even a game we want to see on January 6? It would be yet another high powered offense v shutdown defense game. Of all the options, this one is the least likely but it could be an interesting second tier "Oregon v Alabama BCS Championship" (Which will never happen).

The Right Illusion Can Trick Any Mind

As the October Classic heats up and St. Louis moves into fall and Halloween is right around the corner, it only makes sense to take a look at one of the best parts of the game: superstition.

In baseball, superstitions take on a wide variety of forms: curses, batting rituals, random jumping and tons of eating. To get our feet warm, let’s delve into two of the most notable curses to ever come about.

First, we have the Curse of the Great Bambino. This started in 1918 when the Boston Red Sox decided to trade Babe Ruth, the Great Bambino, to, of all teams, the New York Yankees. The curse did not allow the Red Sox to win a World Series for 86 years but was broken when the Sox won the crown in 2004 in a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox seem primed to get back on that track this year after a fantastic season. (And those beards!!! Superstition at it's finest!)

Possibly the curse known best to the NL Central and specifically Cubs fans is the Billy Goat Curse. The curse started in 1945 when Billy Sianis was kicked out of Wrigley Field during the World Series because his pet goat’s smell was bothering other fans. Sianis proceeded to curse the Cubs by saying, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” Sure enough, the Cubs haven’t won a National League Pennant since that day and haven’t won a World Series in 105 years. This curse seems to have a few more years in its tank.

Now that we can all accept the realness of curses and black magic, it’s time to dive into the game itself and some rules that are only written on our hearts.

The first rule of Fight Club and of an ongoing perfect or no-hitter game is the same: Don’t talk about it. Just don’t. It is a well-known fact that talking about any such instance will break the magic of that game. In my lifetime it’s happened much too often for me to be able to recall. When I tuned into the September 6 San Francisco Giants v Arizona Diamondbacks game one of my friends, who will remain anonymous for his safety, slipped and pointed out the pitching performance by Petit. Sure enough, one out away from perfection, Petit gave up a single. Perfect game and no-hitter bid gone just like that. It also happened to the rookie here in St. Louis, Michael Wacha, when he lost his bid for a no-hitter thanks to an ESPN analyst’s decision to comment on the performance.

The other unwritten rule that must be respected to avoid disaster is that you must never step on the foul line when entering the field. Don’t do it. Bad things have happened to good people. Turk Wendell, pitcher for the Mets, Cubs and Phillies, would take this to an extreme and jump over the dirt and foul line for good measure. I don’t know what it is with Mets pitchers and jumping, but Oliver Perez would also emphatically jump over the foul line each time he headed for the dugout.

Eating has and will always be a ritual for some people, for others, it’s not only a ritual but a way of life. Matt Garza, pitcher for the Cubs, eats Popeye’s chicken every day that he is scheduled to start. Wade Boggs, third baseman for the Red Sox, ate chicken before every game so much so that he earned the nickname “Chicken Man” for his ritual.

Slumps may be the worst part of any athlete’s career. Jason Giambi, a pitcher’s nightmare, was no stranger to slumps even during his prime. How did Giambi climb out of these slumps? A golden thong. You read that right, a golden thong helped Giambi end slump after slump. The thong worked so well that other Rockies decided to borrow the thong to get out of their own slumps.

Everyone knows that numbers are important to players, but sometimes players take that to the extreme. And when I say extreme, I mean penny pushing extreme. Turk Wendell asked the New York Mets to make his salary $9,999,999.99 in recognition of his number, 99, when he played in 2000.

Although players have their own superstitions, fans get extremely crazy on their own. The line between tradition and superstition is often blurred and then crossed by fans. Is the Chop some sort of black magic for the Braves? Clearly it didn’t work all that well in the NLDS… Lucky peanuts anyone? Keep one peanut for that 8th inning rally and then start chewing at that first pitch. Missing the first pitch is a cardinal sin for veteran baseball fans and when you do miss it, you might want to have a very good reason for the baseball gods.

We all know, in our hearts that sitting in a certain spot, waving a rally towel, putting on the rally cap or turning our back will make our team perform better. It’s been proven time and time again. (Forget about the few times it didn’t work) Although science, society and even our own mind calls us crazy for thinking that our little effort does anything to change the course of the game, sports fans know that it does work. Each sport provides their own flair to this superstitious way of life, but baseball does it better and more enthusiastically than most. 

*Note: This article has been published in the Saint Louis University News. This is an original copy by the author (Nate Creech). Any reproduction of this material without written consent is prohibited.

Tragedy and Why We Need to Change

Okay, I've seen the last straw. I was going to stay away from this hot topic because I didn't want to get burned with lack of information, but when Piers Morgan decides that he is going to call out "America's gun crisis" as the problem in this case, I've had enough.

First off, background on this case in case you haven't been watching the news:
Christopher Lane, a baseball player in Australia, was visiting the town of Duncan, Oklahoma where his girlfriend and her family live. As an athlete, Lane stays in shape and so he decided to take a jog around the neighborhood. He happened to pass a house where three scumbags thugs were staying and kept running, as any normal runner would do. However, these thugs were bored and happened to have a gun so they decided to chase down Lane and, for fun, shoot him. Christopher was shot and died out of cold blood and for a break from boredom. Please, take a moment to pray for Christopher, his family and his girlfriend and others affected by this terrible tragedy.

Now that we have a little background on this incident, what the hell motivates someone, let alone three someones, to take a break from boredom and shoot an innocent civilian? Is is that gun that might be sitting on a coffee table, or in a locked closet or even fully loaded on their hip? OR is it society and parenting and lack of respect for human life?

If you answered that the gun did this, please, for all of us, continue reading.

A gun does not motivate someone to go out and shoot anyone, just as a knife does not promote stabbing someone nor a car motivate you to run over innocent people on the sidewalk. However, bad things happen when thoughts go the wrong way and access to that tool is, in fact, available to you. And before anyone gets the idea that I am going to be preaching about thought control or some B.S. like that, you can stop fretting. Free thinking is what is letting me write this right now and it is the greatest tool I have as a journalist so, yes, I condemn thought police at any stage.

What, then, do I propose?

A change to society. A change to how we raise our children. A change to how we, as a society, view human life.

How are we, as a society, responsible for what happened in Duncan, OK? Simply because we, as a majority, have become less demanding on what we want our children to do with their life. We have allowed children to be raised to believe that they can do what they want and there won't be any consequences down the road. We have promoted a culture of sex, drugs, alcohol and violence that, simply, poisons the minds of youth. Even people my own age, and even myself, have promoted this sort of "consequence-free, do what you want" lifestyle.

We see hundreds of video games that feature death, killing and guns as the center-piece for some role-play. This is also a staple of Hollywood and has been the theme of more and more movies: kill the bad guys, use big cool guns, look badass, end the movie. However, these aren't the things that lead to cold-blooded killers at 15-17. I, myself, have played multiple games featuring these themes and I have yet to even have the thought of running out of my house, gun in tow, and shooting down a jogger. The entire mantra of "video game violence is bad for children" is only true if you, as a parent, sibling or care-giver don't have the ability or drive to teach that same child that human life is of greater value than anything on this earth.

The value of human life has been degraded almost to the point of no-repair. This sex culture we live in, where telling a girl that she should dress modestly or that she might want to stop hooking up with multiple guys just for fun is viewed as slut-shaming and telling a guy to stop sleeping around and that he might want to think about his choices is going to get you shunned, is despicable. Yes, sex is cool and you can go have as much sex as you want. BUT, there is a but in there, wait till you have a committed relationship. Wait until you know for a fact that this guy or girl is actually worth sharing the closest intimacy two people can have.
Then, we come to the real problem of sex before a committed relationship: abortion! If you didn't think that abortion was going to come up in a piece about the value of life, then you probably need to rethink things and keep reading! Abortion is the greatest slap in the face to human dignity that has ever been thought of and that's why you'll see me bring it up many times in many different forms. When we degrade a human to the point of needing reasons to call the most innocent of us a "clump of cells" or a "parasite," you know that something is really wrong with society. Is this a call for an end to abortion? Yes and no. Yes, because I kinda always do that when I get the chance and a good size audience. No, because this is really a call to upgrade the value that society puts on human life (which in it's own way would see the end of abortions).

Now, add up the last two things. Violent video games or tv shows/ movies with little ability or drive to teach youth responsibility and the value of human life PLUS the degradation of human life and value of that life by society as a whole. What do you get? Cold-blooded teenage murderers.

What do we do to solve this eerily easy math problem?

It's simple. We kill the Batman. No, crap, wrong line.

It's simple. We change society. We make sure that people, adults first, understand that human life is of greater importance than jobs, money, politics or anything else. We educate the youth on the value of life and that we don't regenerate in quite the same way as you do in Halo or Call of Duty. We do the most good we can and attempt to limit the bad influences in our life and that of our children/ young adults.

What we don't do, however, is throw away violent video games, parentally protect your child from watching G.I. Joe because of the guns or stop children from reading books like Harry Potter because of the sorcery involved. There is no possible way that we can control everything that happens to our youth, at least no way that is healthy for their development and to let them lead their own life. We simply have to make sure that we impress upon our children and loved ones that human life is real, valuable and not something to be tossed around. We teach responsibility and portray a life that is worthy of respect and dignity.

Those few things will add up to change society and save lives, not only in the womb, but also on streets.

Lastly, once again, please pray for Christopher, his family, friends and loved ones and the citizens of Duncan. And may God have mercy on the souls of these troubled youth.

God bless.

Bulls, Masks and New Adventures

First, we had a black "man" on trial for murdering hundreds of babies and the defense argued that the prosecutors were engaged in an "essentially racist prosecution" of a 'man' who murdered babies and women. Then, there was the tragedy of the Boston Bombing which saw media outlets hoping for a white Christian man to be the terrorist involved. Following that, we opened the summer with a trial that was based completely on race and race relations and had nothing to do with any attack that occurred or self-defense laws. Now, finally, we can enjoy the truly wonderful sport of Rodeo without having to deal with a black President's face on a clown who runs around for pure entertainment.

I mean, come on, no other President has ever had to deal with this kind of ridicule, right? George H. Bush only had a dummy destroyed at the horns of a bull. And hundreds of thousands of masks and artwork have been done and made fun of at rodeos and fairs of not only Presidents but other government officials as well. We really have gone too far in the rodeo business this time, haven't we? Saturday Night Live, however, is completely free to make fun of the President, Presidential candidates and other political figures because, well, it's comedy, right?

Not only is this rodeo clown incident a non-incident thanks to the First Amendment and the fact that we don't live in a monarchy where making fun of the King sees you straight out of a job and shunned by the entire country, but it's yet another example of media bull-plosion. Yes, the entire incident could be seen as a batch of ill-humor. Yes, the office of President of the United States deserves and demands respect. Yes, there were people in attendance who laughed (each one of them is being rounded up as I type). However, we don't live in some statist dictatorship where it's even slightly called for for someone to lose their job over wearing a mask that depicts the President.

Or are we moving in that direction? Does the "hate crime" have to be against any race other than white for it to be considered "hate"? Is "hate speech" going to start to include anything that anyone finds offensive? Or is it specific to this President? Will there be an "Offensive Police" now, going after anyone that says or does anything remotely racist? (Outside of the media that is)

Now, let's be clear on one thing: this entire Missouri Rodeo Association thingy has gotten WAY out of hand. Once again, radio talk-show hosts, news anchors and cable news shows have devoted hours upon hours to this one story that has nothing to do with national media nor should have garnered national attention. But, the people eat it up and will read, listen to and watch this sort of news any day over the real news of Egypt, rising debt and ObamaCare fallout to name just a few.

So, you may ask, why did I decide to write a blog post about the Rodeo Clown from Missouri Who is Clearly a Racist? Well, not only is it national news, it's also a very good segway into how politics and sports are intertwined because, believe it or not, rodeo is in fact a sport in these United States.

The first edition of Sporting the Politics of America will be coming out later in August.

Gridiron Breakdown

It's official. We can all turn on the TV, kick back and watch monsters crush each other. No, I'm not talking about Pacific Rim or another Transformers movie. It's Football Season!

I think it's about time Right of Center Field released the first set of the College Football Preview.

First, let's look at the Top 10 teams in the running for that coveted National Championship and set a bold prediction for the season.*

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

If anyone is surprised to see the Tide at the top of this list, you may want to look up the word "best" and multiply that by about 10 to understand how good this football team is, again. Alabama not only has the defense to stop any would-be challengers but they also have an offense that can once again power over the entire SEC. AJ McCarron will be leading an outstanding Crimson Tide offense coming off a 30 TD season and T.J. Yeldon will pick up right where he left off with back to back 100 yard rushing performances against Georgia and Notre Dame. On the other side of the ball, look for an outstanding performance by the defense that led the country with 10.9 PA last season. Nick Saban and Co. could be looking at a third straight National Title. The toughest test will come early when they take a trip to Kyle Field and Johnny "Football" the second week of the season.
Bold Prediction: The Tide finishes the season 12-0 and is back in the BCS National Title Game for the fourth time in five years. (The only real bold prediction is that AJ McCarron wins the Heisman)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

The only team to own the title of Undefeated in the 2012 season, the Buckeyes are, once again, that good. With a combination of Braxton Miller throwing, Braxton Miller running and Urban Meyer coaching, this will be a team to fear now that they have the chance to play for that National Title. Carlos Hyde will be another asset for Meyer to use when the pressure gets to Braxton in the Big Ten, not that it has had a huge affect on him yet. Not only do they have the team to do it, they have the schedule to get through the season unscathed. Four games, Buffalo, San Diego St, California and Florida A&M, will lead these Bucks into their Big Ten opener at the Horseshoe versus Wisconsin. Their toughest test may just be the last week of the season when they travel to Michigan to visit That Team Up North.
Bold Prediction: Bucks take an 11-0 record into Michigan and come out unscathed and headed for the Big Ten Championship against Taylor Martinez and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

3. Oregon Ducks

In the post-Chip Kelly era, will Oregon be able to fend off the looming challenges of Stanford, UCLA, USC and Oregon State and stay the big dog out west? De'Anthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota will be two keys to answering that question and if last season is any indication, the duo are up for the task. Mariota had an astounding connection with Josh Huff and Colt Lyerla last season, connecting 32 and 25 times respectively. Huff will once again be a big target to rack up yards but Thomas will still be an active member of that receiving core after catching 45 passes last season. Unlike the top two teams, Oregon will be facing a tough battle before getting into conference play playing at Virginia and then hosting Tennessee in the second and third week of the season.
Bold Prediction: Oregon will finish with 11 wins, unable to beat Stanford but will still play in the PAC-12 championship against USC for a chance at the Rose Bowl.

4. Stanford Cardinal

Two years removed from Andrew Luck and the Cardinal still look like a top PAC-12 contender. In the first year after Luck, Josh Nunes and Stepfan Taylor led Stanford to a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin. This year, it'll be up to Taylor to carry this team again but he should be getting help from Kevin Hogan. It'll be a tough battle while the Cardinal have very few veterans in their receiving core and the young guns will have to show they can play in the big-boy PAC-12. Luckily, San Jose State and Army provide a decent starting ground for this young team. The second half schedule will be the true test for this Cardinal team with games at UCLA, Oregon State and USC and home games against Oregon, California and Notre Dame to close out the season.
Bold Prediction: Hogan and Taylor will lead this Cardinal team to an 11-1 record and will beat UCLA, Oregon State and Oregon in consecutive weeks before falling to USC.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Aaron Murray will be leading the Georgia offense again and will be searching for another SEC Championship Game berth. With Murray at the reins and Todd Gurley returning to lead the ground attack, the Bulldogs have the making of a fearsome offense. On the defense, however, only three full-time starters will be back, but like most SEC teams in this top 10, the Dawgs have a very talented group of inexperienced players coming in. The Bulldogs will look to use North Texas as a breather in the third week after taking on South Carolina the week prior and before LSU the following week; all three of those will be at home. They'll get another break in their schedule after a neutral site game against Florida in the form of Appalachian State at Sanford Stadium in the ninth week. Look for the Dawgs to be in the running again this year.
Bold Prediction: Georgia will get tripped up once but finish 11-1 and atop the SEC East again for a rematch against Alabama in the SEC Championship.

6. South Carolina Gamecocks

One off-season removed from South Carolina and Jadeveon Clowney rocking Michigan in the Outback Bowl, Clowney and these Gamecocks will be looking for that elusive SEC Championship. Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson will likely be splitting snaps once again, but the biggest question for this Gamecocks team is how to replace a back like Marcus Lattimore? Mike Davis, a sophomore, will likely be given the starting spot. He had 52 carries for 275 yards last season. Although the Gamecocks will be facing very stiff SEC East competition in the second week against Georgia, this schedule seems to play out very kindly for them. After a three game road trip to visit Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri, South Carolina will end the season with four home games against Mississippi State, Florida, Coastal Carolina and Clemson.
Bold Prediction: Although they'll squeak by Georgia in the second week, the Gamecocks will finish the season with a 10-2 record falling to the Gators and Clemson. Clowney will finish second in the Heisman voting and will be first pick in the Draft.

7. Texas A&M Aggies

Johnny "Heisman Football" Manziel has had a distracting summer so far, but will be looking to lead the Aggies to an even better SEC performance this season. Although Manziel could pull another Braxton Miller-esque season out of the hat, Ben Malena will most likely be getting the ball on a few more attempts this year. The Aggies should once again be putting up big numbers unless the SEC West coaches have figured out how to stop Mr. Football, which would be asking a lot. Texas A&M will get four home games to start the season, sounds great, right? Well they'll need that fourth week Sam Houston game after they take on Alabama who will be looking for revenge from last season. They get another four game homestand against Auburn, Vanderbilt, UTEP and Mississippi State before a two week road trip to LSU and Missouri.
Bold Prediction: Johnny Football will fail to mow down the Crimson Tide monster in back to back seasons and will finish second to the Tide in the West going 11-1 and Manziel will finish fourth in the Heisman vote.

8. Clemson Tigers

Tajh Boyd and the Clemson Tigers will be facing a very tough schedule bookended by two of the SEC East's best, Georgia and South Carolina. Andre Ellington, the Tigers No. 1 back last season, won't be coming back, but Roderick McDowell could fill in nicely for Clemson. Brent Venables, now in his second season coaching the Tigers defense, will have to back up the offense with better defense if they hope to beat out Florida State for the Atlantic Title. Boyd and company, however, seem to be up to the task of leading the Tigers to an ACC title and could easily be one of the most prolific offenses in the country again. With ACC Atlantic Title contender Florida State coming into Memorial Stadium in week seven, the Tigers have a good shot of making it through the ACC schedule with relative ease.
Bold Prediction: Tajh Boyd finishes third in the Heisman after taking the Tigers to 11-1 season and a perfect 8-0 ACC conference schedule. The Tigers win the ACC Title against the Hurricanes of Miami.

9. Florida Gators

After an upsetting end to last year's 11 win season, the Gators will look to improve in a tough three team battle for the SEC East. Freshman Kelvin Taylor will be a surprising and talented edition to the Gator's run then gun game. He put up astounding numbers in his senior year, rushing for 2,423 yards and 41 touchdowns. However, Matt Jones will start the running machine that is the Florida offense. On the other side of the ball, the Gators will really need to clamp down. The defense was a huge part of their success last year, but this year defensive line coach Brad Lawing will be throwing in a wrinkle from his last season with South Carolina called the rabbits package. Overall, the Gators may just have the hardest stretch of eight games in the Top 10 facing the entire SEC East and SEC West members LSU and Arkansas from week three through week 10 with games at Miami Florida and in the Swamp against the Seminoles to close out the season.
Bold Prediction: The Gators adopt the Rabbits package immediately and chomp through the brutal SEC schedule in route to an 11 win season losing only to Georgia, sadly unable to pull of the neutral field victory they needed. However, they take their anger out on whoever crosses them in the Sugar Bowl.

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Coming off of their first spotlight season in nearly two decades, the Fighting Irish will look to their defense to do what it did last season again. Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt, both SEC-country recruits, will hold down one of the best defensive lines in the country. Unlike most of the other Top 10 teams, questions still loom as to the quality of the offense. With Golson sitting out and Tyler Eifert gone to the Cincinnati Bengals, the reins fall to Tommy Rees and possibly Andrew Hendrix to lead this offense down the field. Questions surround this entire team, but with three of their biggest games being at home, Michigan State, Oklahoma and USC, and Michigan and Stanford being the biggest road tests, the Irish could be looking at a ten or eleven win season.
Bold Prediction: All but Stanford bow to the Irish this season and they pull off a head-turning 11-1 record, but without a conference championship, are left out of all talks for the National Title.

*Note: Not all Bold Predictions can come true logistically